The immediate attention given to Norfolk St and Delaware St after signing head coaches Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson, respectively, was great for those schools and HBCU football in general.
But one thing that has generally lacked after attention is finally given to Black content is the utilization of that attention and leverage to coerce media companies into spending ad dollars with Black media outlets to promote the content, event or game.
I have worked in sports and multicultural media for over 25 years, at both big companies and start-ups, so I can fully attest to this fact.
It’s not one party’s fault, though.
On the agency side, which represents movie studios and media companies, it’s a long-standing practice of pushing the Staples “Easy” button so that the same media outlets get the same media budgets. This way reps can justify the spend to their clients without having to explain why they included smaller outlets, which in many cases are Black media outlets.
Agencies often employ young buyers who don’t know about Black media companies outside of the popular ones like BET and Revolt, so they push the “Easy” button to keep consistency.
Another incorrect train of thought is that Black people will watch the show in question regardless, so why should they spend money with Black media platforms to promote it.
Or, even more insultingly, they advertise with one Black media outlet so they will get all the Black viewers they need there.
The biggest frustration with agencies is that they don’t value the Black consumer the way they should. Black consumers are a force with, according to Black Enterprise, a purchasing power of $2 trillion.
The other party sharing blame is the Black content creator or owner.
Many times they don’t recognize their leverage and ability to demand that ad spends to promote the content are placed with Black media outlets.
When they don’t make this part of the deal, it essentially gives the agency the blessing it needs to buy with the usual entities. They then rationalize the decision by stating those mainstream entities have Black viewers so they can get the Black impressions/ratings they need there.
This has been a decades long issue for Black media. I have battled it myself so many times that you almost feel immune to the rejection agencies give you.
This is why it’s so important that Vick and Jackson use their power and force companies like ESPN to spend ad dollars with Black outlets, especially independent Black outlets who cover these sports differently, and with more passion, than bigger, more established Black outlets.
And yes, I am including First and Pen on that list, as well as other properties like HBCU Gameday, HBCU Sports, MLBBro, etc.
Last week, it was announced that Vick’s first game at Norfolk St would be a primetime game against Troy on an ESPN network.
While it isn’t an SEC or Big 10 game, it’s still a primetime game and audiences will tune in to watch primarily because it’s Michael Vick.
And that’s why leverage can be used to ensure independent Black outlets get rewarded financially for their loyalty and coverage of the sport.
Now, I understand all about media rights deals; I’ve been involved in many myself.
But these are the types of events where that the conference can spin out and package as special events at a premium price and with more deal points, one of which should be to include ad spends with independent Black media properties.
The match-up between Vick and Jackson on October 30th, which was moved to Lincoln Field in Philadelphia because of the two coaches, is another example.
I know all of the arguments that will come from bringing this idea up, and I also am well aware of the other types of offers companies such as ESPN will offer conferences and teams in response to this idea (more promo time on ESPN, extra commercial inventory for the schools, etc.).
Those are good but all they do is press the “Easy” button again.
It’s time for HBCUs, in particular, to recognize their newfound power and think differently about how to wield it in media rights discussions.
The WNBA and its fans finally did it and look at how quickly the league’s growth has exploded over the last few years. That growth even helped spur the founding of “Unrivaled”, which raised $35 million in investment capital in its first year.
The NBA did it with the In-Season Tournament and benefitted from its ratings success, new sponsorship and revenue distribution to its players.
When I was at ESPN in the early 2000’s, media agencies wanted to place ad buys only in PGA events that Tiger Woods was playing in. But because we had leverage, we refused. Instead, we made them buy multiple tournaments and golf shows and then charged a big premium for the events that Woods played in.
In 2022, ESPN used Deion Sanders’s presence at Jackson St and enjoyed the ratings boost (and revenue) he provided them. If you don’t believe that, you don’t understand how much money it costs, and how much effort it takes, to bring ESPN Gameday to a college campus, yet ESPN took the show to Jackson, Mississippi that year because of Deion’s popularity.
It’s way past time that Black content creators and owners use their power to spread the wealth that agencies and media companies don’t want to share.
Vick, Jackson and the MEAC have this opportunity now and in the future to leverage the attention that the two former NFL stars have brought to their two schools and help Black independent sports properties secure revenue to build scale and grow.
And if they get push back about the audiences of these sites, including this one, just tell them to look at Target’s most recent earnings report for proof of power.
